


The Best Head Girl?

by Terrygo



Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 12:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8055553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terrygo/pseuds/Terrygo
Summary: A conversation between Madge and Ailie about being head girl





	1. Chapter 1

Ailie came in looking fed up and sat down heavily on the settee. Madge raised an eyebrow at her 17-year-old daughter “What’s the why of that?”  
“It’s Aunt Joey.” Ailie sighed “ever since she heard I was to be head girl next term she keeps lecturing me, telling me that I should follow her example, be like her because, she says, everyone says she was the best head girl ever.”  
Madge smiled slightly “She says it, no one else does Ailie, and it’s not true anyway. She was a passible head girl but she was never the best.”  
“Really?” Ailie sat up slightly, looking interested” but she says….”  
“Yes, I know, and sadly she believes it, you know how fixated she is with being the school’s first pupil.”  
Ailie grinned “Don’t we all, there’s no one within miles that hasn’t been told that by her.”  
“Quite, and until Nell and Hilda stopped her she was always at the school, it wasn’t healthy for her.”  
“I know everyone, well mostly everyone, was pleased when she stopped coming. Ailie said honestly “It was getting too much.”  
“I know, and I supported Hilda and Nell in their decision. “Madge looked thoughtful. “You’ve not always been a little angel yet we all feel you will make a good head girl.”  
“Huh, that’s not what Aunt Joey says.” Ailie grunted.  
“She has no right to criticise you. “Madge said firmly, Allie looked unconvinced and Madge made up her mind “Your aunt was never a model of perfect behaviour, or even a good example at times.”  
“Will you tell me more?”  
Madge nodded, in truth she was also tired of ‘first pupil’ and ‘best head girl’ and wished she could stop it. ” Not to be spread around though Ailie.”  
“Understood, would you like a coffee first? “Madge agreed and soon they were settled with coffee and biscuits.  
Madge looked thoughtful “Your aunt wasn’t a bad head girl, but she had faults she seems to have forgotten and really should not lecture others.”  
“Like what?” Ailie asked interested “I confess its starting to get me down the way she is going on.”  
“Well don’t let it, Nell, Hilda and I chose you and that’s the important thing.” Madge paused to sip her coffee “At first Joey didn’t want to be head girl, it would ruin her fun etc.”  
“Why was she?”  
“She was the best choice we felt then, now I actually think another might have been better, and she was young and we felt it might help her. But she hated the idea, in fact it got to the point where I was just about to appoint another and she changed her mind, “Madge laughed ruefully “I left it a bit late though.”  
“But surely it’s a chance to give something back.” Ailie remarked causing Madge to regard her youngest daughter thoughtfully.  
“Some see it that way, others it’s an honour, others are scared stiff but do their best. Len never wanted to be head girl, she felt Ted would do a better job.”  
“They made a good team, Ted probably would have done a good job, but Len did, in her way.”  
“Her way?”  
“Well she’s not aunt Joey, nor Mary-Lou.” Ailie clarified “she was too gentle, but people trusted and respected her, surely that was a good thing?”  
“Indeed, trust is very important. “Madge agreed “without it you have nothing.”  
“Hope people trust me.”muttered Ailie.  
“Well we have in picking you. “Madge told her briskly causing her daughter to smile.  
“So aunt Joey changed her mind and became head girl, what happened after that?”


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm treating you as an adult Ailie."Madge remarked "but please remember that just because I'm using christian names doesn't mean that you may, it's very hard for me to remember to say Aunt or Miss."she added with a smile.  
Ailie grinned" I can just see Miss Annersley or Miss Wilson's faces if I started throwing their first names about, I'd rather like to keep on living."  
Madge laughed "Fair enough,I'll trust you."  
"It's safe with me."Ailie promised.  
"You asked what happened, well the truth is quite a lot when I think back.I don't want you to think that Aunt Joey was all bad, far from it, but she caused problems as well as sorting them."  
"Like what?"Ailie asked interested "I don't believe I've heard this side before."  
"Probably not, it doesn't fit in with the image she projects these days, and I wouldn't be telling you anything if she hadn't been lecturing you on how to behave."  
"She was more human then?"  
"Yes, you could say that."Madge said thoughtfully.She paused a few moments "You've heard of the Robin of course."  
Ailie nodded"We've all heard of her,seen photos."  
"Of course you have,she was part of the family for years, anyway Joey loved the Robin as a child,perhaps she was even a little over the top in those feelings, and of course expected that everyone should feel the same. Robin was a delightful child, easy to love, unspoiled despite the attention."Madge paused to sip coffee, grimacing as she realised it was cold. Ailie offered to get more "Not yet, but thank you. Anyway a girl joined the school who made it clear that she wasn't taken by the Robin, didn't immediately fall in love with her charm and hardly bothered with her.As you can expect that didn't go down well with your aunt and she reacted badly."  
"What did she do?"  
"If I recall rightly she didn't immediately kiss the Robin when first meeting her and Aunt Joey was not pleased, now that new girl was actually very difficult, spoiled even but still, looking back Aunt Joey reaction was over the top."  
"Not everyone likes young children, no matter how lovely they are." Ailie remarked.  
"Very true, with large families I think we tend to forget that fact.However, as head girl, your aunt should have been more tolerant, especially since the new girl and her sister had had a long journey and their mother was ill.things did change later but it took longer than it should have."  
"Hmmm, she would claim that she understood now."  
"But she didn't and it caused problems.Of course your aunt was also unhappy about being head girl still at that point, it may have affected her thinking."


	3. Chapter 3

After Ailie brought fresh coffee Madge went on "You know, looking back, I can see things I let your aunt get away with, that in any one else I might have checked.Hopefully I've learned from that in my own family and the school."  
Ailie grinned "Still wishing for a sweet daughter?"  
Madge laughed somewhat ruefully "I should never have said that, I love all my family just exactly as you all are,you all make me proud, even you my tomboy."with an affectionate smile.Ailie blushed but looked pleased.  
"So, who do you think was the best head girl?"  
"Help, what a question."Madge laughed"There have been so many and most, with perhaps one exception brought something to the role, and even then I think we, the staff were at fault for choosing her."  
"Who do you mean?"  
"A girl who's main aim was to pass exams and get where she wanted to be, as a consequence she neglected her head girl duties, but we should have seen that to be honest."Madge admitted."There has been some girls who could have been head girl if there hadn't been someone that little more suited,for instance Ted.Had Len not been here Ted would have made an excellent head girl,as it was it was more of a partnership between those two but it worked."She sipped her coffee"I think perhaps the most important head girl was my very first one, Gisela,picked mostly for her age but what a wise choice she turned out to be.On her leadership the whole prefect system depended,had she failed then it would have failed."  
"I've heard of her, what happened?"  
"Another pupil cheeked her, had Gisela left it the prefect system would have failed, but she didn't leave it, she did the right thing and the rest is history."  
"Bit of a responsibility, this head girl thing."murmured Ailie.  
"Yes it is, and that is why we try to choose the right person.Perhaps your aunt wasn't the right person."she mused."Even though well liked she wasn't all that understanding of people, and tended to ignore those who didn't seem to like her or Robin, and she was perhaps too young in many ways for the job.Perhaps I let my own wishes get in the way."she admitted "oh she wasn't the worst head girl but perhaps I was wrong."  
"So why did you?"  
"She was quite immature in some ways, I hoped it would help her grow up, but perhaps also I wanted my sister to be head girl of my school."  
"Understandable."  
"But not necessarily right."Madge sighed "Its a thing I've pondered on off and on."  
"People says she butted in to help people?"  
"That's a bit of a myth if my memory serves me right, I'm not saying she didn't help people because she did, sometimes at the risk of her own life, but butting in, not so much, not as much as people seem to think.Looking back I think she mostly helped those she cared about. Mary-Lou was compared to her, and she did butt in "Ailie snorted "Yes, alright perhaps too much, but she did care and did believe she could help,and would never leave someone unhappy if she could do something."  
"True."Ailie nodded "but we did find her a bit of a bore."  
"Perhaps, but she tried, too hard maybe, but it was well intentioned. Your aunt didn't do anything as much as that so how or why people compare her and Mary-Lou is beyond me to be honest."  
"As you say a myth that has grown over the years?"  
"I think that is the case, as happens things lose some truth the more they are told."


	4. Chapter 4

They sat in a companionable silence for awhile until Ailie spoke “May I ask this, I’m not being rude or anything, but why was Sybil never the head girl, I mean Josette was, I am going to be but not Sybs.?”  
Madge looked out of the window “It’s a fair question Ailie, one I have thought over a few times.”  
“I know she was responsible for Josette’s accident when they were younger.”  
“Yes, and it was just that, an accident, I know “at a look from Ailie “that some still mention it, even blame Sybil but it was just an accident, no more. She would never have deliberately hurt Josette, she was trying to be helpful when in fact she and Josette should not have been left alone in a room with a boiling kettle. They were heavier then, clumsy affairs to go on stoves as well.”  
“So did it affect your thinking about making her head girl in later years?”  
“I’ve wondered, you see I don’t usually choose the head girl, I leave it to Hilda and Nell, oh they discuss their choice but it is theirs, picking you made me very proud “with a smile.  
“Been a bit of a handful.”  
“But you, and I’ve learned that’s the most important thing. Why they didn’t pick Sybil even as a prefect at first, well I wondered. It’s not like those two to be swayed by anyone else but I did wonder if your aunt influenced them, she was quite hard on Sybil, dragging it up over the years. I let Sybil down when she was younger, I should have realised that she felt insecure in a house full of other people’s children all of whom seemed as much or even more important than her, especially as boys then tended to think they were the be all and end all. She needed reassurance of her place and I let her down, quite badly.”  
“I’ve heard a little of that. “acknowledged Ailie.  
“You don’t think you see, your brother needs his children looking after so you just agree. I don’t regret agreeing, I do regret the fact I never set out to think how it would affect Sybil. “Madge looked a little sad.  
Ailie reached over and touched her mother’s arm “It’s in the past now.”  
“Perhaps. “Madge smiled slightly “but I think it affected her for too long, I was not always fair to your sisters. Sybil was going to go to St Mildred’s and there were strong candidates that year, Hilda and Nell didn’t think she was the best candidate and I had to go along with it. She was a prefect though and I know that meant a lot to her, and me “she added.  
“Do you think she should have been head?”  
“I don’t know Ailie, as a mother I would say yes, but realistically perhaps not. I just hope that her behaviour whilst young and the accident didn’t prevent her, she did change in some ways after it, some for the better if I am honest, but it should not have been a consideration. Sadly, your aunt did bring it up more than was necessary.”  
“I don’t think that would affect it, Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson know their own minds. Ailie said firmly “I should know “with a mischievous grin.  
Madge laughed, the slightly sad look leaving her face. “I am sure you are right.”


	5. Chapter 5

“So you are saying, politely, that I should ignore Aunt Joey’s advice “Ailie asked with a grin.  
“Yes, in this instance, not all advice is bad of course but you should always try to filter out the good from the bad and consider the source. The source here is not that good. “with a slight smile.” I perhaps shouldn’t say this but sometimes I feel your aunt has never truly grown up, which in itself is a waste.”  
“Cecil was saying the same thing to me, they sometimes feel very embarrassed on her behaviour, how like a school girl she is, they don’t want an old staid mother, they just want someone who is a mother and not trying to be a friend.”  
“Do they all feel like that?” curious.  
“Cecil says so, she said she used to dread taking people home.”  
“That’s quite sad, but your aunt was always a little immature, even being head girl didn’t stop that. I remember hearing about a little spat with a senior called Anne. Seemingly your aunt was being a pain, being noisy whilst others were trying to study for exams and not unnaturally Anne got exasperated at her, threw a cushion I believe.”  
“Don’t blame her.” Ailie laughed “There is nothing worse if you are trying to concentrate.”  
“Agreed, and perhaps Anne should have been politer, but your aunt didn’t take it well and went off and sulked, not talking to Anne, so not only was she inconsiderate but also sulky, and that is when she was head girl.”  
“Not good.”  
“No, and she kept it up until Anne had an accident and she jumped in to help. So she has good sides, but she was never the person she is made out to be, she never really saw things, never really understood how others were feeling or what they were needing. Brave certainly, she proved that, but not always showing the empathy that is the legend of now.”

“Ok, mum, you’ve given my advice on what not to do, or who not to follow, so how about some advice on what I should do, any shining lights that I should follow.”  
Madge smiled “I think you’ll find your own way, and that’s the best way. Don’t be too strict, Peggy was a little that way in dealing with things.”  
“Can you be too strict?”  
“Yes, you can, there is a way of drawing the line, knowing what is just mischief to relieve feelings. The middles are young girls who are in the process of growing up, here, at school, that growing up is limited, but they need to and will break out, it’s up to you and your prefects just how you deal with it. You can follow others examples like Peggy being strict, like Marilyn not caring, Mary-Lou being a little too interfering, like your aunt not understanding but doing that won’t get you respect. You know how you felt, what did you feel was fair from the prefects, try to remember that.”  
Ailie nodded “Yes, there were times they bugged us “with a smile “but now I can see they were right, well mostly. Alright mum, you all gave me the job, I’ll do my best. “squaring her shoulders with a grin.  
Madge smiled “That’s all we can ask, be yourself, be fair and I know that you will do a very good job.”


End file.
